COLUMN: Village News – From farmyard relic to museum treasure: A 1938 McLaughlin Buick finds a new home

The Mennonite Heritage Village has recently welcomed a remarkable new addition to its artifact collection: a beautifully restored 1938 McLaughlin Buick, generously donated by Elmer B. Harder. More than simply a vintage automobile, this Buick represents a family story spanning generations and offers a fascinating glimpse into rural Manitoba life in the mid-20th century.

The story begins in 1938 when Peter P. Thiessen (1890-1973) and Maria Peters Thiessen (1891-1988) of Sewell, Manitoba, purchased the new McLaughlin Buick from the GMC/Buick dealership in Altona. Built in Regina, Saskatchewan, the car was an impressive vehicle for its era. With its elegant styling, spacious body, and powerful straight-eight engine, the Buick was both a symbol of progress and a practical tool for a busy farming family.

Unlike many automobiles of the time that were reserved for special occasions, the Thiessens’ Buick quickly became a hardworking member of the household. It transported the family to church services, visits with relatives and friends, and shopping trips. Yet its duties extended well beyond everyday travel.

Peter Thiessen saw the Buick’s potential as a reliable work vehicle. To help haul pigs to market in Winnipeg, he built a utility trailer using the frame of a 1940 Pontiac. He added sides and a loading ramp, creating a practical livestock trailer that paired surprisingly well with the Buick. According to Peter’s granddaughter Agathe, the arrangement worked better than the farm’s trucks because the trailer sat lower to the ground, making loading easier, while the Buick pulled the heavy loads with little effort.

For the family, the Buick was more than transportation. It was where memories were made. Agathe learned to drive behind its wheel, and over the years the car carried multiple generations along Manitoba roads. As newer vehicles eventually replaced it, the faithful Buick was retired from service and parked in a quiet corner of the farmyard.

There it remained for many years.

As seasons came and went, trees grew up around the old car. Its paint faded, its tires flattened, and nature slowly began reclaiming the space around it. Yet the Buick never lost its ability to capture imaginations. The Thiessen grandchildren vividly remember climbing onto its broad running boards and peering through the windows, imagining the journeys it had taken and the stories it could tell. Even in its weathered condition, it retained an undeniable sense of grandeur.

When the time came to sell the family farm, the future of the Buick became uncertain. Fortunately, Agathe’s oldest son, Don, recognized both its historical significance and its sentimental value. Believing his brother Elmer would ensure its preservation, Don used an excavator to rescue the vehicle from its resting place in the yard. In June 2003, Elmer transported the Buick to Winnipeg on a flat-deck trailer and began the next chapter of its story.

The restoration was entrusted to Terry and Teresa McMillan of Clandeboye, Manitoba. Their work was extensive and meticulous. Through careful research and a determined search for authentic parts, they restored the Buick from top to bottom. One particularly fortunate discovery was a donor 1938 Buick with a mint-condition interior, which provided essential components for the project. The original engine and transmission remained with the vehicle and were rebuilt by a friend near St Pierre, preserving an important part of its authenticity.

After nearly two years of dedicated effort, the restoration was completed in the spring of 2005. Once again, the Buick gleamed as it had in 1938. For Elmer, one of the greatest rewards was being able to take his mother Agathe for scenic drives in the family automobile she had once learned to drive.

In the years that followed, the Buick was carefully stored and preserved. Eventually, Elmer realized that its story deserved a wider audience. Rather than keeping the car tucked away, he chose to donate it to Mennonite Heritage Village, where it could be appreciated by visitors and preserved as part of the region’s rich heritage.

Today, the 1938 McLaughlin Buick remains in very good condition, both inside and out. It remains a striking example of Canadian automotive history and a testament to the care and dedication of those who preserved it.

Thanks to the generosity of Elmer B. Harder and the efforts of many family members and restorers, this remarkable automobile has been given a new purpose. No longer hidden among the trees of a farmyard, the Buick now stands as a tangible connection to the lives, work, and memories of a Manitoba family whose story continues to inspire future generations.

Upcoming events

May to September – The museum, the Livery Barn Restaurant, the General Store, and Village Books and Gifts are open 7 days per week.

Open Daily until 5 p.m. – Gerhard Ens Gallery new exhibit is open: Mennonite Medicine: Cures and Curiosities – 1800 to 1950.

Aug. 15 – Peace Trek 5km Community Walk – The Mennonite Heritage Village and the Eden Foundation are excited to announce the new Peace Trek 5K Community Fundraising Walk. Join the community and walk to support hope, healing, and heritage.

Registration is free, and all funds that you raise go directly to the mission of MHV and Eden Foundation. Be a part of this brand-new event, reimagined for our community. Register or donate here: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/mennonite-heritage-village-canada-inc/p2p/peacetrek-26/

Sept. 3 – 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. – Books, Borscht and Blues – Enjoy a soup buffet from the Livery Barn Restaurant and enjoy the sound of Manitoba-grown artists; the award-winning Ollee Owens, and the dynamic duo of Big Dave McLean and Dan Thiessen.

Sept. 7 – Fall on the Farm: Cultural Showcase

Garth Doerksen is the senior curator at the Mennonite Heritage Village.